The Albert Lea school board elected its officers Monday for 2020.

Dave Klatt will lead the board as chairman, and Ken Petersen will serve as vice chairman.

Angie Hanson will serve as clerk, and Neal Skaar will serve as treasurer.

For each position, nominations were announced by board members, and paper ballots were submitted to Ashley Mattson, executive assistant to the board and superintendent, who then read the vote totals aloud.

Klatt and Petersen were both nominated to be chairman, but Klatt won the vote 4-3. Petersen won the vote against Skaar for vice chairman 4-3.

Klatt is in the middle of his second term on the board.

Klatt, Skaar and board member Kim Nelson will serve on the district’s finance committee, and board members Angie Hanson, Jill Marin and Dennis Dieser will serve on the policy review committee. Petersen, Skaar and Dieser will serve on the facilities committee.

The board also approved representation to various boards, agencies and committees.

In other action:

• Klatt read a statement about the board’s mid-year review and discussion of Funk during the closed session at the Dec. 16 meeting.

Klatt said the board is pleased with the success of the district’s recent building projects and Funk’s continued strong fiscal management.

He noted Funk is involved with an effort that focuses on school improvement in five areas, including student achievement progress and effective teaching.

The board also discussed continued emphasis on academic rigor and student achievement accountability.

• The board approved the school board meeting schedule for 2020-21.

• The board named U.S. Bank, Home Savings Bank, Associated Bank and Trust, and Minnesota Bank and Trust as depositories for school district funds, and Minnesota Trust and Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund as joint power investment trusts.

• Board members designated Executive Director of Finance and Operations Jennifer Walsh to serve as deputy board treasurer and Ashley Mattson, executive assistant to the superintendent and school board, as deputy board clerk.

• The board authorized Superintendent Mike Funk and Walsh to lease, purchase and contract for goods and services within the budget as approved by the board. Any transaction where bids are required must be authorized by the board.

• Designated Tami Alphs as the school district special education, federal programs and ESEA authority.

• Delegated Walsh, benefits specialist Bria Hamberg and others under their direction to make electronic transfers with appropriate documentation.

• Designated the Albert Lea Tribune as the official newspaper of the district for purposes of publishing legal notices.